1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rescue terminal structure for use in supplying electrical power to a vehicle by connecting a booster cable to a rescue terminal of for example an electrical junction box when a battery of the vehicle is dead.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 6 shows a conventional rescue terminal structure (for example, see FIGS. 1 to 4 of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-134215).
The conventional rescue structure has a bus bar 52 provided on the plate-shaped block body 51 made of insulating synthetic resin and a rescue terminal 53 upstanding from the bus bar 52. A bolt 55 on the side of the block body 51 is passed through a hole 54 of the bus bar 52. An electrical wire (not shown) connected to a positive terminal of a battery is fastened by a nut and connected to the bolt 55. When the vehicle's battery is dead, the booster cable 6 (see FIG. 7) for electric power supply is connected to the rescue terminal 53.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-134278 discloses a conventional rescue terminal structure wherein a cover (not shown) made of insulating synthetic resin is mounted to a block body (51), the cover has an opening through which the rescue terminal (53) protrude to an outside, and the opening is covered by a small inner cover (not shown). The block body (51) and the cover constitute a junction box body, and the junction box body, the bus bar (52), the rescue terminal (53), and a bolt (55) constitute the electrical junction box (see FIG. 1).
As shown in FIG. 6, the rescue terminal 53 has for example, a U-shaped cross-section. Also, it may be in a shape of a rectangular column. The electrical junction box is installed, for example, in a hood of a hybrid vehicle and the battery (not shown) is installed in a rear trunk. Since the battery is covered by a cover, it is not possible to connect a booster cable 6 to the battery as such when the battery is dead. A driver therefore has to open the hood and connect an end of the booster cable 6 to a positive rescue terminal 53 of the electrical junction box. The other end of the booster cable 6 is connected to a positive electrode (not shown) of a rescue vehicle's battery that supplies electric power to the dead battery of the driver's own vehicle.
As shown in FIG. 7, the booster cable 6 includes a clamping portion (crocodile clip) 7 that is made of electrically conductive metal and is closed by a force of a spring). The clamping portion 7 is connected to an end of an electrical wire 9. The clamping portion 7 includes a pair of chuck pieces 8 that each have an edge-shaped end 8a that holds the rescue terminal 53 and right and left sawtooth-like teeth 8b. The pair of chuck pieces 8 are energized in a closing direction by a force of a torsion coil spring (not shown) with the hinge 8c acting as a point of support.